Raisah Ahmed – Chair

Raisah joined the Amina board in 2016 during which she focused on the fundraising subgroup. She is current chair of the board.

In her professional life, Raisah is a graduate of Strathclyde University, holding a Masters in Literature, Culture and Place. She works in film and television as a screenwriter and director and has also spent a number of years mentoring young people in underrepresented groups as they take the first step into the arts.

Her film and television work has had her work with a number of companies including the Scottish Film Talent Network, CBBC, BBC3 and Film 4.

She has sat on a number of panels focusing on diversity and inclusion in the film industry and also co-runs BOOST, a collective focused on supporting those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in pursuing work in the arts.

Aziza Khand – Vice Chair

Aziza Khand is a founding member of Amina starting with setting up a steering group and organising a conference to explore the needs of Muslim Women in 1995 to work towards the early stepstowards establishment of Amina from the year 2000.

She was the first Chair of Amina and has served the organisation as Chair, Secretary and Treasurer during her tenure. She is currently Vice Chair of the organisation.

Aziza has a business degree and post graduate qualifications in Information Management. She has over 20 years of third sector, charity and community engagement experience. She has worked within Local Government as well as developing training strategy and infrastructure within Muslim charities.

She has served on a number of Boards and Management Committees over the years covering youth work to wider BME work and is passionate about advancing the interests and cause of women and young people into the future.

Hassan Khan

Hassan is a recent member of the AMINA board having joined in 2018.

After completing his undergraduate degree in Glasgow, Hassan went on to live and teach abroad before returning to complete PGCE in Primary Education. During this time he was able to work and volunteer with various groups of all backgrounds.

His passion for social justice and equality and helping the community local lead to him becoming involved with AMINA after attending one of our events.”

Angela Voulgari – Secretary

For over 10 years, Angela has worked in the area of women’s rights, domestic abuse and honour-based violence in Scotland. Throughout this time she worked collaboratively with Amina MWRC to ensure that women she supported were receiving the right support and resources through Amina MWRC to help them fulfill their needs and to access their choices.

Angela brings to the Amina Board, knowledge in Honour-Based Violence and related issues, as well as strategic support in the East of Scotland, where her expertise lies, along with skills in supporting and motivating teams, using her background in counselling, psychotherapy and training.

Nelum Zafar – Treasurer

Nelum joined AMINA at the beginning of this year. She is an ACCA qualified Accountant. She is a Corporate Accounting Manager in the hospitality sector. She has been involved in various charity work since her teenage years. She was employed by FRAE Fife as a project support worker, where she prepared, published and submitted a report to Fife Council on the needs of BME women while studying at Dundee University.

She has a diploma in Public Service interpreting. She worked as an interpreter with Fife Interpreting services, Global Languages and with Central Interpreting Unit for many years.

Nelum is also an ACCA panel member for West of Scotland where she helps support students, new members and take part in advocacy work.

Safeena Rashid

Safeena is one of our Edinburgh based board members. She first became involved with Amina MWRC when she was at university in the capacity of doing sessional work in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. She remembers this time fondly as it gave her the opportunity to work with many different people and organisations.

She stopped working with us a few years ago and then returned as a board member in November 2016. She enjoys being a part of the organisation in this different role because she meets many very inspirational women, attends some interesting events led or backed by Amina MWRC and values the work that we do.

As a day job Safeena practices law and is an advocate in Scotland. She learned to cycle as an adult and bought herself a burkini so she can also learn to swim. She hopes to inspire and encourage other women to also be active.

Fariha Thomas

Fariha Thomas was a founder member of Amina and the first employee, managing the organisation from 2002-2007. She later joined the Board and has served as Treasurer, Secretary and Vice Chair at various times. At present she is an ordinary Board member and sits on the Policy sub Committee.

Fariha Thomas holds qualifications at postgraduate level including in Urban Policy, Social Work/ Community Work, and Social Work Management, as well as certificates in Counselling Skills and Fundraising Management..

Fariha Thomas has worked in the fields of community development and equalities in Scotland, in both the statutory and voluntary sectors, for over 30 years. She has worked with a wide range of minority ethnic community groups, been involved in providing anti racism and cultural awareness training to a range of organisations, and undertaken research on minority ethnic issues.

Fariha has extensive experience in the voluntary sector having served on numerous Boards and managed several organisations. Fariha was a Glasgow City councillor from 2012-17 and is currently the Operational Manager at Youth Counselling Services Agency.

Asma Abdallah

Currently is the Manager of Community Engagement in Policy and Capacity Building at Next Step Initiative.

Asma has over 20 years experience working in voluntary sector to build ethnic minority capacity and sustainability. Graduated from the University of Khartoum, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering.

Started her career in the UK in 2001 as the Co-ordinator of the Life Long Learning Project – a project designed to build the capacity of Ethnic Minority women to help them access employment and move on to further or higher education. Amongst Asma’s many diverse roles she has also been involved in leading the operational delivery of Amina’s aims, through various roles such as the Assistant Director, and the Glasgow Capacity Building Officer, and Coordinator of the Saving Energy Saves the Environment project.

Asma has also been an Oxfam Equality Trainer of the Law to Practise project in Glasgow, and is currently the Chairperson and founder of Empower Women for Change, which works in Scotland and overseas, to build women’s capacity and sustainability and contribute to talking about climate change.

Jamilah Hassan Adewunmi

Having served on the board of the organisation for many years, Jamilah has seen the direct implementations and works come to fruition as a result of the effort of the board.